The University of Florida (UF) is seeking community volunteers to serve on the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the committee responsible for overseeing human research conducted by UF researchers and others.
Why Community Members Are Important
Community members serve as full voting members of the IRB. They play a vital role in protecting the rights and welfare of people who participate in research.
As a community member, you will:
- Bring a non-scientific, layperson’s perspective to the review of research.
- Review Informed Consent Forms—the documents researchers use to explain studies to potential participants. Your feedback helps ensure that these forms are clear, understandable, and give people the information they need to decide whether to participate.
Who Can Serve
To serve as a community member, you must:
- Not be affiliated with UF, UF Health Shands, or the VA.
- Affiliation generally means being a current employee or student, or having an immediate family member who is. Former employees or students may still be eligible.
- Have access to a computer, internet access, and Microsoft Word.
Meetings and Time Commitment
- The IRB meets twice a month (1st and 3rd Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.) via Zoom.
- You will receive Informed Consent Forms to review by email the week before each meeting.
- It typically takes about 2 hours to review the consent forms before each meeting.
- Members are expected to attend about 75% of meetings per year (~18 of 24).
How to Learn More
If you are interested in serving on the committee or learning more, please contact the UF IRB Office at one of the following:
- By phone at (352) 273-9600 Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM
- By email at irb@ufl.edu
- Submit the form below